Container closure



Aug. 1, 1933. J. M. YOUNG CONTAINER CLOSURE Filed July 10, 1929 INVENTOR4M? ATTORNEY Patented Aug. :1, 1933 1,920,288 coNTAINEaIoLosUuE r 1.#John M.- Young; Brooklyn, Ni -Y., ,assig'nor 'to .AmericanCan Company,New York, N. Y., a.

,,Corporation of New Jersey Application July 10, 1929. Serial No.377,145

' .7 Claims. (01. 220-54.}

Thisinvention relates in general to containers, and more particularly toan improved end closure which is easily andeffectively applied to acontainer body by a novel. method and is readily 5 removed therefrom. Qp 1 An object of my invention is the provisionof an improved end closurewhich hasa scored depending flange. and. which utilizes the inherent.

elasticity offthe metal of the flange to plfbduce disengagement exceptbyseverance of the flange flange, thereby stretching the metal of theflangev or skirt within its elastic limits overthesealing 25 area of thebody to produce .a permanentconnection. therebetween which can be madehermetic by the addition of a gasket or compound liningbetween thecontainer top and the end closure V p a I V l Still another object of myinvention is the provision of; an improved drawn end closure of simpleconstruction which has a 'score line defining a tearing stripfland anintegral tongue extension, and which-may be readily opened by means or"a slotted key which may be conveniently attached to the countersunkpanel of the end closure. j

7 Another object of my invention is the pro.- vision of an improveddrawn end closure which is assembled and opened in the manner described,

1. and which, after opening, is adapted to. be used asa convenientreclosure. 1 7

Still another object of my invention resides in the'method of assemblingmy improved drive fit tearing strip closure by means of simple andinexpensive pressure closing mechanisms.

' Numerousother. objects of theinvention will" be apparent as it isbetter understood from the following description, which, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing,' discloses .a preferredembodimentthereof. r

Referring to the drawing:- Fig. 1 is a perspective view} of one type ofcontainer to which my invention is applicable.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view with parts broken a very tight drive fitconnection betweenit and a portion of a container body which has a.predetermined size, and which connection resists away to show the sizingof the container body by means of a die mechanism.

Fig. 3 is. a'view similar to Fig. 1 showing the relative position of.the end closure and body before the former isforced over the latter by 5die mechanism.

.Fig. 4 is an enlarged, cross sectional view show-.- ing the samerelative position of body and closure asinFig.3. r

Fig. 5 is a. view similar to Fig. 4 showing the end closure fully forcedhomeover the sealing area of thecontainer body. v

Fig. 6shows the relative position of the end closure and container bodyafter the tearing strip has been removed.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspectiveview showing the reclosure separatefrom the container.-

,'To illustrate a preferred embodiment 'of my invention-g1 have-shown onthe drawing a metal containercomprising a cylindrical body 11 having aside seam 12, a bottom closure 13, and a top closure 14.

The upper part of the container body 11 is bent inwardly at 15 to form areduced annular neck or vertical wall portion 16, and the latter has itsextremity bent inwardly, downwardly, and

a line of severance 23 for a tearing stripdefined bythes'core line 23and the bottom edge of the annular skirt 21. This tearing strip isadapted to be torn away from the remainderof the cover by means of aslotted key 24 secured to the panel 18in any suitablemanner, the slot'ofthe key being adapted to engage the tongue 22 and the key constitutingmeans for removal of the tearing strip and release of the cover.

plished by die action, and one way of accomplishing this sizing of thecontainer body 11 is illustrated in Fig; 2 wherein the container body isshown positioned between a support or lower chuck 25 and an upper chuckor ring die 26 having a recess 27 of a diameter which is precisely equalto the desired diameterof the sealing area 28 of the container body 11,so that when the sizing die 26 is forced down upon a container body11,.which has been placed in concentric alignment with the recess 27,the container body is brought to a predetermined diameter around theperipheral sealing area 28.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the finished and sized can body 11 is shownpositioned upon a lower support or chuck 29 which'may be the same partof the same machine as chuck 25 or part of another machine. The topclosure 14 is placed over the open container body with the edge of itsdepending flange 21 touching the upper. extremlty of the sealing area 28at the neck bend 15, and

the closure 14 is now ready to be forced or driven home over the sealingarea 28 by "means of an upper pressure member 31, actuated by anysuitable mechanism (not shown) engaging and pressing down upon the outerrim of the shoulder or recess 20. Considerable pressure must beexertedof the'sealingarea 28. How much smaller, de-

pends upon the weight of the sheet metal stock used and other varying ordesired conditions. When the flange 21 has been fully driven home overthe sealing area 28 of the body, a'tight metal to metal seal has beencreated between the body and the closure.

The closure 14 may be made hermetic by placing a gasketor liningcompound 33 in the closure recess'20, as clearly illustrated in Fig.4.When the closure i l is forced into sealing engagement with the canbody, this lining compound or gasket 33 is squeezed between the topsurface of the curl 17 or the body and the inner surface of the closurerecess or channel 20 and the closure is thus made both liquid and airtight.

' In order to conveniently open my improved closure, the tearing tongue22 is engaged by the slotted key 24 and, tearing alongthe scoreline 23,the tearing strip is rolled upon the key 24 in the usual manner. Therebythe stretched part of the cover flange is severed and the coverreleased; When the container has been opened by the removal of thetearingstrip the remaining parts of the'closure 14, as shown in Figs. 6and '7, maybe employed as a reclosure, the depending flange 32, whichremainsoi the flange or skirt 2l after removal of the tearing strip, andthe wall part 19 being. adapted to engage-the curled top 17 of thecontainer.

It should also be pointed out here that instead of the sheetmetalcontainer body 11, a container body of glass or other solid materialhaving a sealing area of uniform predetermined size can be employed inconnection with my improved closure without departing from the spiritand scope of my invention. V

Ihe method of producing this containeris not claimed hereinbut isclaimed in my application, a division hereof, filed June 27, 1933,Serial No. 677,927. a l

It is thought that theinvention and many of its'attendantadvantages willbe understood from the foregoingdescription and it will be apparent thatvarious changes may be madein the form, construction and arrangement ofthe parts, without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention,.or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a container, a container body having a sealing area ofpredetermined diameter, a cover for said container having a dependingflange of substantial width and predetermined smaller diameter than saidsealing area, and having a portion'providing a-tearing strip, saidflange being adapted to be stretched within the limits of its elasticityby forcing the same over said area to form a tight seal with the latter,said flange being in a condition of tension to the point that the coveris permanent with and irremovable from the body. 7

2. Ina container, a container body having a sealing area ofpredetermined diameter and a reduced part above said sealing area, acover for said container having a depending flange of substantial widthand predetermined smaller diameter than said sealing area, and having ascore line defining a tearing strip, said flange being adapted to bestretched within the limits of its elasticity by forcing the same oversaid area to form a tight seal with the latter and also adapted to besevered along said score line to open said container, the removal ofsaid tearing strip severing and releasing said stretched part of'thecover flange.

3. In a container, a container body having an annular sealing area ofpredetermined diameter and an annular reduced part above said area, acover for said container having a depending flange of substantial widthand predetermined smaller diameter than said sealing area, and having ascore line defining atearing strip, said flange being adapted to bestretched within the limits of its elasticity by forcing the same oversaid area to form a tight seal with the latter and also adapted to besevered along said score line to open said container and provide areclosure, theremoval of said tearing strip severing and releasing saidstretched part of the cover flange.

4. In a container, a container body having an annular sealing area ofpredetermined diameter iis and a reduoedzneck portion above said areaterover said area to form a tight seal with the latter, and also adaptedto be severed along said score line to open said container, the removalof said tearing strip severing and releasing said stretched part of thecover flange.

.5. In a container, a container body having a sealing area ofpredetermined diameter, a drawn cover for said container having adepending flange of substantial width and predetermined smaller diameterthan said sealing area and haying a scoreline defining a tearing strip,said flange being adapted to be expanded within the limits of itselasticity by forcing the same over said area to form a tight seal withthe latter, and also adapted to be severed along said score line 7 toopen said container, the removal of said tearing-strip severing andreleasing said stretched part of the cover flange, said cover after saidtearing strip has been removed, being adapted to serve as a reclosure. I

6. In a container, a container body having an annular sealing area ofpredetermined diameter strip severing and releasing said stretchedpartof the cover flange, said reduced neck portion being adapted toreceive said severed cover as a reclosure.

"7. In a container, a container body having a sealing area ofpredetermined diameter, a cover having a depending flange ofpredetermined smaller diameter than said area, said flange having atongue extension, a score line in said flange defining a tearing areabetween it and the edge of the flange, said body and cover beingassembled by stretching said flange over said sealing area in a drivefit and means for engaging said tongue and removing said tearing area torelease the'cover from said drive fit.

- JOHN M. YOUNG.

